Ministry of Religious Affairs Clarifies Delayed Professional Allowance for Madrasah Teachers

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has addressed the issue of unpaid professional allowances for madrasah teachers covering the period from January to February 2026, confirming that payment cannot proceed until budget allocation becomes available.

Amien Suyitno, Director General of Islamic Education at Kemenag, explained that the additional budgetary allocation requires preliminary review by the Inspector General’s Office. He characterised the delay as a procedural matter, noting that during the teacher professional programme (PPG) training phase, regulations prohibit budgeting until certification completion is announced.

Following the teachers’ graduation, Kemenag will submit the professional allowance budget proposal in accordance with employee expenditure requirements. According to Suyitno, the teacher professional programme only concluded in December, which means the professional allowance can only be proposed in the following year. Since the current fiscal year is ongoing, the allocation must be requested through an additional budgetary scheme.

Suyitno expressed hope that madrasah teachers whose allowances remain unpaid would understand the procedural necessity. He reiterated that the timeline follows established regulations: teacher professional programmes in one year, followed by allowance proposals in the next year.

The statement follows circulation of an official letter on social media detailing the delayed payments. The letter, addressed to all Provincial Ministry of Religious Affairs Regional Heads and Islamic Education Division Chiefs, referenced Secretary General Circular No. 85/SJ/KU.00.2/01/2026 dated 27 January 2026. The correspondence stated that professional allowances for madrasah teachers and heads who completed the 2025 teacher professional programme cannot be paid temporarily until budget allocation becomes available, even though they have already received registration numbers.